Assembly of a typical hermetic compressor often requires that components fit inside the hermetic shell with very small tolerances for radial, axial, and angular position. This is particularly troublesome when attaching an internal suction line between a port in the shell and a port on an internal chamber attached to the compressor or motor body. Manufacturing tolerance and human error can cause substantial variation in the initial position of the compressor/motor assembly relative to the port in the shell. These variables, coupled with the expected movement or vibration of the compressor/motor unit on its mounts during operation of the compressor effectively dictate use of a flexible connecting line, sufficiently long to allow for flexure during assembly and slight movement during operation.
Even in designs in which the compressor and motor are rigidly mounted within the hermetic shell rather than spring mounted, there is often a problem during assembly with maintaining close tolerance in the position of internal components relative to the enclosing shell. For this reason, it is sometimes difficult or time consuming to fit an internal connecting line between a port in the shell and a port on a chamber attached to the compressor/motor. Conventional techniques use flexible metal tubes of annealed copper which are often longer than necessary to merely bridge the intervening space between the ports, since the extra length permits the tubing to bend without crimping or breaking. Such tubes may be relatively expensive in material cost, and their use may require a larger hermetic shell be used to accommodate their added volume.
In consideration of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to provide a compact internal compliant seal that connects a port in a compressor shell with a port in an internal chamber on a compressor/motor assembly.
It is a further object to provide an internal seal that accommodates substantial variation in radial, axial, and angular alignment of the compressor/motor assembly relative to the outer shell.
Another object is to provide an internal seal that is sufficiently compliant to accommodate movement of the compressor/motor assembly during operation of the compressor.
A still further object is to provide a seal that is relatively easy to install during the assembly of the compressor.
Yet a still further object is to provide a relatively low cost internal compliant seal.
These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the attached drawings and the description of the preferred embodiment that follows hereinbelow.